Leap Ahead Learning Center

This is NOT the place to take your child for various reasons. I should have pulled my son out twice already before today but I made excuses in my head and didn’t. On his first full day, after spending a lot of time filling out a ton of paperwork stating my son could not have milk of any kind due to health reasons and that I would be providing his drinks each day, they not only gave him milk but made him drink it even after he told them himself that he wasn’t supposed to have it and even though I sent him with a drink. I let it go and chalked it up to it being his first day but that should have been a sign of how the facility operates.
Then a few months later I personally witnessed one of the teachers spraying a child in the face with a water bottle. I was blown away. I thought I had to be seeing things. When I asked my son about it he said yes that’s what happens if they don’t listen. I asked if he has ever been sprayed in the face and he said no. So instead of doing what I should have and listening to the advice of others that since it wasn’t my child there was not much I could do, I just reached out to all the parents I knew at the time to give them a heads up and told my son that if he was ever sprayed in the face to tell me immediately.
Today I was charged a late fee and it was just the final straw. We left last week to go out of town for Mother’s Day and due to my car breaking down while out of town did not make it back by Monday as planned. I pulled my son out today after the money hungry owners refused to not charge me even though he hasn’t attended since last Wednesday. Their policy states if you don’t pay by Monday you get a late fee. I could understand that if he was physically present and its not like I didn’t have money in hand for the full week today. Not to mention they do NOT accept credit card payments of any kind. So its not like calling and paying over the phone is an option. Life happens and sometimes unexpected things happen but they don’t care about anything but their money. Not taking a credit card is ridiculously inconvenient for business or traveling parents as it is. When asked about their reasoning the owner flat out stated that the fees were too high for them. I own a business so I am aware of the fees and its about making it convenient for your clients, this is 2016!!! But its about their convenience and money, not yours. Their only response, «well, I suggest you set up automatic payments with your bank.» Wow, so you feel like its okay to tell another adult how to bank, that is the craziest thing I have ever heard. This place is ridiculous.
The ONLY positive thing I will say is that MS. Flavia is WONDERFUL, she is the director. Hopefully she moves on to a better facility one day.

To me and my family this place was completely awesome! The staff is very nice and kind, the only hiccup I had was there were too many kids per class (it was all legal) they had enough teachers but hard to give attention to those who need it. Most of staff as well as kids speak Portuguese but everyone was nice. The hours of this place are unbeatable, you can actually have a real job! Hours are 7am-​6pm and they are almost always open (except holidays that everyone is off) They also serve food, you can bring your lunch which I did but my kiddos always ate their food as well as mine.